Full Tilt Poker halts service in Washington state

Not too long ago PokerStars e-mailed users stating that in accordance with new legislation they were stopping service in Washington – the first state in the US to make online poker illegal.

Full Tilt Poker has just this weekend followed suit which means that the two biggest poker rooms in the world are no longer offering real money cash games in Washington state. The good news for players concerned is that funds online will not be touched.

The two online giants have slightly differing takes on the Washington state ruling though. PokerStars won't let anyone with a Washington address play for real money on the site. It's slightly less restrictive for Full Tilt players though. They won't let anybody play within Washington state but if they travel outside the state borders they will be eligible to take part in games.

A statement from Full Tilt read

"Full Tilt Poker announced today that we will no longer provide real-money poker to players located within the state of Washington. In accordance with Washington State law, as it is currently interpreted, any player logging in from a Washington-based IP address will be prohibited from real-money gameplay.

"This decision was made following extensive legal consultation in relation to the Washington Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Internet gaming.

Our number one priority is, and always has been, providing the best possible online poker experience to all of our players, and it is with great regret that we make this announcement.

"We would like to assure all players that their funds are safe and secure in their Full Tilt Poker account and our Customer Support team is available to assist players with withdrawal requests.

"Full Tilt Poker fully supports the formation of sensible Internet poker regulations. We recommend that players located within Washington State sign up to the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to join the fight to keep poker legal."

This is something of a pickle for Washington resident, businessman, pro poker player and Full Tilt co-owner Phil Gordon, who according to rumours has simply purchased a house just outside the Washington state line. Hopeful online players in Washington shouldn’t hold their breath for a reprieve either; expect to see other major sites such as the CEREUS network pull out of Washington soon.

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Tuesday is the deadline for all working Americans to have submitted their income tax returns to the federal government and Juicy Stakes and Intertops Poker are set to mark this annual occasion by holding a special freeroll competition featuring a $1,000 top prize.